Q&A: Amjad Saeed, master’s student in motorsport engineering

Why did you become interested in science and engineering?

It all started with my love for cars and racing. I used to sit on my old home PC playing Colin McRae Dirt Rally when I was around seven years old, and my dad had woken the family up early to watch Formula 1, when the race started super early when it was somewhere like China or Japan. That sparked my love for anything motorsport and automotive. My inquisitive nature in always trying to understand how something works led me to engineering.

How did you get to where you are now?

I started by doing biomedical engineering at Aston University, because I was told there wasn’t really an opportunity for me in motorsport. Reluctantly, I chose to listen, and while I absolutely loved the engineering side of my degree, the biomedical side didn’t really ignite my passion like motorsport did. I decided I didn’t want to box myself into the biomedical field, so found a role in the aerospace sector. At the time, I couldn’t fund a master’s degree in motorsport because of financial constraints, but that’s when the Mission 44 and Royal Academy of Engineering MSc Motorsport Scholarship came in. It allowed me to hone my skills and experience in motorsport, specifically to give me a fighting chance in one of the most competitive industries.

What has been your biggest achievement to date?

I think getting the scholarship and being able to balance my full-time job with my part-time master’s degree. It wasn’t easy, but I have come a long way, and I am proud of seeing myself apply all of my energy into something I truly love, rather than being passive and coasting, which is so easy to do nowadays.

What is your favourite thing about being an engineer?

For me, it’s definitely the problem-solving aspect of it. It keeps me on my toes and has me guessing what each day would bring, and I absolutely love that consistent variety. Also, the constant learning keeps me very engaged – my mum told me that from a young age, I used to play with my toy cars for five minutes and then break them apart to see what was going on inside. In engineering, there’s always something to learn, and it’s that innate drive to learn more that’s constantly satisfied in a profession like this – especially motorsport.

What does a typical day involve for you?

Currently, it involves working in my current aerospace role from 6am to 2pm. Then I either go to university to study for my master’s in motorsport or head home to work on other motorsport and engineering-related tasks, such as applying for roles or trying to grow my network. I also love working on my project car. It’s a Toyota Celica – and as with project cars there’s always something that needs fixing or doing!

What would be your advice to young people looking to pursue a career in engineering?

Chase it from day one. Don’t let others tell you the field you want to join has no opportunity or is not the right fit. When you’re passionate about something like engineering, you will naturally put so much more effort in, and that drive will be apparent to prospective employers. And use that drive to always better yourself in your field – whether it’s soft skills, growing your network, increasing your technical knowledge, or learning new engineering software like CAD.

What’s next for you?

For me, I’m looking to complete my master’s at Oxford Brookes, and move from aerospace to my motorsport, my dream engineering career. I’m also looking to be part of the change in how motorsport and engineering is viewed from a young age, especially those from a minority background, by continuing having voluntary and ambassadorial roles in amazing charities such as Mission 44 and Driven By Us.